A 9mm as a CCW piece?

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I have two 9mm carry pieces: a S&W M39 and a CZ75B. Both function flawlessly with HP ammo, and my carry ammo of choice these days is Speer GDHP in 124 grain persuasion.

....and technically, all my carry guns (semi autos) are "9mm" (in diameter, anyway)....I also carry a .38 Super & a .380 ACP from time to time.

I have confidence in my ability to hit what I"m shooting at with my 9mms.....I have tried the .45 and didn't find it all that accurate or pleasant to shoot (to be fair, it most likely was the gun....a rental from a local gun shop).

I have also worked in E.R.s, ICUs and O.R.s, and can tell you that I have seen enough people hit with 'minimal' calibers that weren't going anywhere but a slab, and a few hit with larger calibers that made it.

Bullet placement & a good HP (of which there are now many) are key......